Brussels, 18/04/2000 (Agence Europe) - European Commission Frits Bolkestein, responsible for taxation issues, announced at the Commission's weekly meeting that he has agreed to the principle of an extension of Sweden's restrictions on personal imports of alcohol and tobacco beyond 30 June. Reluctantly, he will submit a proposal in May for the progressive elimination of these restrictions by 31 December 2003. "Thanks to its insistence on the need for Swedish citizens to enjoy their full internal market rights, the Commission has ensured that they can begin to enjoy more freedom to import from other Member States as of 1 July this year and that the Swedish restrictions will be brought to a definitive end in January 2004. From that date, all EU citizens in Scandinavia will enjoy the same internal market rights concerning personal imports as other EU citizens", commented Mr Bolkestein's spokesman.
The Commissioner did not conceal his opposition to this type of derogation. Sweden has been authorised, from its accession to the Union in 1995, to impose limits on the import of alcohol and tobacco into its territory by travellers from other EU Member States, but this waiver was slated to come to an end on 30 June next. For Mr Bolkestein, "these restrictions are incompatible with the fundamental internal market rights of free movement of goods and people and disproportionate to the public health objectives invoked to justify them", explained his spokesman.
Recently, the Swedish government, which raises considerable tax revenues from the state alcohol distribution monopoly, mobilised to secure a new deadline. On 14 March last, it received the backing of the EU Finance Ministers for the alignment of Sweden's situation to that of Denmark and Finland, which have similar derogations valid until 1 January 2004. It thus become politically difficult for the Commissioner not to respond to this clear expression of Ministers' will.
A compromise was finally found with the Swedish government allowing a progressive increase in authorised amounts of personal imports of tobacco and alcohol from other EU States. The authorised quotas of wine and beer will be raised on 1 July next (from 5 and 15 litres to 20 and 24 litres respectively) and again on 1 July 2001 and 1 July 2003 (to 52 and 64 litres). Quotas for tobacco will also be increased, in a single step, on 1 July of this year. Authorised amounts of spirits will be raised on 1 July 2002 from 1 to 2 litres and then to 5 litres on 1 July 2003.
"These progressive increases will facilitate the changeover to the definitive regime from January 2004, after which travellers will be able to import as much alcohol and tobacco from other Member States as they like as long as they can prove that it is for their own personal consumption. This phased elimination of the restrictions will allow Swedish authorities to put in place progressively alternate means of combating excessive alcohol consumption, such as stepping up information campaigns concerning the health risks", commented Mr Bolkestein's spokesman.